I just found an interesting post through metafandom about The Different Types of Critiquers. Since I've beta'd for a number of people on my f-list, and will probably continue to do so for some of you, I thought it might be helpful to ask what type of critiquer you've found me to be in the past, was it helpful, and/or what type of feedback you'd prefer from me in the future. If you're not comfortable responding in comments, feel free to PM me. I'm all about trying to be more constructive and improving my editing skills, so any feedback is welcome!

This is why I love Rachel Maddow. She practically loses it on camera and breaks down into a fit of giggles over this "non-consensual conservative activist teabagging".

Ganked from metafandom.

I don't have much to add in the way of insightful reflection, but I wanted to share these posts.

The first: Whatever you're doing, you're probably doing it wrong. by matociquala

Excerpt: "Writing The Other without being a dick. ...If you can question your own cultural assumptions about what people ought to be like, and also the stereotypes you've probably assimilated without knowing it, you can hopefully write people who are not just like you."

And a response: I Didn't Dream of Dragons by deepad

Excerpt: "What I resent is the implication of accessibility. That it is as easy to understand people of different ethnicities and cultures as it is to understand the diverse experiences within the identities you share with people."

This is the second part of my secret santa gift for thanatopsis76, as part of the gift exchange at dvlwears_prada. Hope you enjoy!


Title: Elevator Confessions
Author: Mercury

Fandom: The Devil Wears Prada
Pairing: Miranda/Andy
Rating: PG-13

Summary: Allowing Andrea to ride in the elevator with her on Christmas Eve turned into more than Miranda had bargained for.

Author's Note 1: A big thanks to my invaluable beta, skeeter451, and also to hawkbehere for her help in hunting down a rather elusive quote.

( “Fix this,” Miranda seethed, in her deadliest tone. )

Happy Holidays everyone! Here's the first part of my secret santa gift for thanatopsis76, as part of the gift exchange at dvlwears_prada.

This bit is in response to the request: "I like drawings, preferably naughty." Since I can't actually draw, I hope you'll accept these icons and wallpapers, some of which are at least somewhat naughty.



( More Secret Santa graphics under the cut... )

First things first: OBAMA! WHOOOOHOOOOO!

*ahem*

This is a Big Fucking Deal.

That being said, it feels a little bittersweet. The results are showing that Florida has voted 62% in favour of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Arizona has done the same with Proposition 102, with 56% in favour of banning gay marriage. Arkansas has voted to ban gay couples from adopting children. And California's Prop 8 isn't looking good, with 54% in favour so far, although the results are still rolling in.

As a Canadian, I have the right to get married if I want to. And yet this still feels like a personal attack, yet another attempt to put us in our place and reaffirm our status as separate and unequal. All of us.

But holy crap I got chills during Obama's address.

"A new dawn of American leadership is at hand."

Title: The Most Outrageously Fashionable Halloween Extravaganza Andrea Sachs Has Ever Experienced
Author: Mercury

Fandom: The Devil Wears Prada
Pairing: Miranda/Andy
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Halloween at Runway is not what Andy expects. Total crack!fic.

Author’s Note: This is in response to chilly_flame’s Halloween challenge. It’s also sort of a challenge in and of itself (you’ll see when you get to the end). Enjoy!
Author’s Note 2: A big thanks to skeeter451 for the beta and the title idea. You're the best, Susan!

( On to the Halloween Extravaganza... )

Three thoughts on the presidential debate last night:

1) Obama is pure class.

Although I almost wished he'd called McCain on his BS a little more. But at least he took the high road, suggesting that they actually discuss the issues rather than how much they're hurting each other's feelings with the less-than-respectful campaigning. Aaand McCain just ignored it and went for the low blows. Next to Obama, who was a paragon of politeness, McCain just came across as blustering and scrappy, constantly interrupting Obama and rolling his eyes at what he was saying.

2) Say it after me, McCain: "Down's Syndrome"

My brother has Down's, and not that that makes me an expert or anything, but it does mean that I'm possibly a little more attuned to this issue than others might be. So of course I noticed right away when McCain said autism rather than Down's. The interesting thing about this is that, at first, I actually gave McCain the benefit of the doubt (weird, right?), because it seemed as though he was just giving an example of special needs. Then he said it at least twice more in reference to Palin's own "expertise" in this area, and I realized that he's just a tool.

3) McCain needs to get over Clinton.

Did anyone else notice how many times McCain invoked Senator Clinton during the debate? Is he seriously still trying to woo the Clinton supporters? I'm not sure if he's noticed that, in order to do that, he should probably have a platform that isn't anti-woman. Just a thought.

And as parting remarks, an image that pretty much sums it all up: ( The candidates looking, er, presidential )

ETA 2: Here's a fairly entertaining commentary on the debate. My favourite line? "[McCain]'s staring at Obama in a vaguely unsettling way, blinking rapidly, and, unless I'm mistaken, spelling out 'The Acorn doesn't fall far from the terrorist' in Morse code."

And yes, I'm aware of the irony that the day after the Canadian election, I'm more interested in posting about the US debate. I'm in denial, okay?

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been playing around with Photoshop the last few days, trying to learn different techniques. Here's a sample of the results so far:



If you want any of them, please credit and all that jazz.

( And the rest... )

Tonight I decided I would try to teach myself how to use Photoshop. Until now, I've had this really weird way of (very poorly) manipulating images, that involved cropping and adding text in Word (seriously), the print screen button, and then pasting into Paint. My ghetto method was right up there with creative ways to use duct tape.

What I mostly wish I could do is just sit and watch some of those awesome graphic designers out there as they do their thing, and learn by watching all the little tricks they use. (grumpybear1031 comes to mind; see the purdy icon she made me as exhibit A). So far, trolling for online tutorials and reading the Photoshop online help has just been frustrating.

Anyway, tonight I learned how to take something from one image and place it on top of another, without any weird halos. Here's my first attempt: ( Anne Hathaway hotness eclipsing the NY skyline )

Title: Nate’s Fault
Author: Mercury

Fandom: The Devil Wears Prada
Pairing: Miranda/Andy
Rating: M
Archive: P&P
Summary: Andy’s world is thrown into chaos and she blames it all on Nate.

Author’s Note: Dedicated to random_flores, who encouraged me to write a DWP fic like, a million years ago. I promised hotness, so hopefully I delivered. This one’s for you!
Author’s 2nd Note: A huge thank you to my betas, skeeter451 and thelastgoodname, without whom this story would be much less cohesive. You guys rock!

Part 1: “Before”
Part 2: “After”

( Part 3 of 3: Now )

Title: Nate’s Fault
Author: Mercury

Fandom: The Devil Wears Prada
Pairing: Miranda/Andy
Rating: M
Archive: P&P
Summary: Andy’s world is thrown into chaos and she blames it all on Nate.

Author’s Note: Dedicated to random_flores, who encouraged me to write a DWP fic like, a million years ago. I promised hotness, so hopefully I delivered. This one’s for you!
Author’s 2nd Note: A huge thank you to my betas, skeeter451 and thelastgoodname, without whom this story would be much less cohesive. You guys rock!

Part 1: Before

( Part 2 of 3: After )

Title: Nate’s Fault
Author: Mercury

Fandom: The Devil Wears Prada
Pairing: Miranda/Andy
Rating: M
Archive: P&P
Summary: Andy’s world is thrown into chaos and she blames it all on Nate.

Author’s Note: Dedicated to random_flores, who encouraged me to write a DWP fic like, a million years ago. I promised hotness, so hopefully I delivered. This one’s for you!
Author’s 2nd Note: A huge thank you to my betas, skeeter451 and thelastgoodname, without whom this story would be much less cohesive. You guys rock!

( Part 1 of 3: Before )

So I'm finally almost done this Devil Wears Prada fic I've been working on, and thought I'd send out a request to see if anyone on my flist would be interested in being a beta (before I bombard the dwp community with the request, if none of you are up for it). I'm not sure how many of you are into that fandom (and why not, hm?) but yeah. It's a one-shot, about 20 pages, and I'm mostly looking for feedback about language flow and characterization.

Oh yeah, and on a completely unrelated note - congrats to Ellen and Portia for tying the knot! Here's hoping this visibility will help California to not be dumb and overthrow the lift on the ban... (damn American politics and their confusing double negatives)

I just need to get this off my chest, because right now, I feel like I'm this close to falling apart at work. *Warning: Possible triggers*

I had a rather disturbing discussion with my colleague today. He and a friend have a friendly rivalry over the fact that one is Welsh and the other Irish, especially whenever their rugby teams or whatever play each other. So awhile ago the Welsh guy made a t-shirt with the following caption: "Ireland: Wales' vagina" with the image of a Welsh dragon inserting its penis into a map of the country of Ireland.

( Yeah, and it gets worse. )
It's already been an hour since that discussion, and I'm still on the verge of tears, while he's sitting at his computer completely untouched and happily working away.

Over at Shakesville, they talk about trying to empty the sea of oppression with a teaspoon, little by little. Well, today it felt like the entire ocean just flooded back into my little raft.

Well, okay, so it's still Friday here. But I'm getting impatient. And I've already cracked a couple of beers in celebration, so I'm perfectly happy to make my own rules right now.

While I had really been wanting to post some fiction today (tomorrow), the story I've been working on decided to take longer than I'd anticipated, so that's not going to happen, unfortunately. But I still plan to make the most of IDF by reading a TON of femslash and commenting like the dickens to every author I ever loved but lurked (can one "lurk" an author? hm - apparently beer does all kinds of wonderful things to my grammar). I've already sent off a few emails of praise, in fact, getting ready for the big day.

So come on, all together now: "I'm a femslasher, so is me, and I femslash all day, because femslash is freeeeee..."

(Big-ass hat tip to ralst for the lyrics and for organizing this whole wonderful shebang.)

For those Joss Whedon fans out there (and even those who aren't... do those people exist?) you don't want to miss this. (Click on the image for awesomeness)



This seriously just made my day.

I am now officially a pet owner. Or pet companion, for those who prefer the less possesive, PC version (Exes & Ohs, anyone?).

This lovely little creature was left at a vet clinic, where they were actually going to put her down if they couldn't find her a home. So the sister-of-a-friend (who is a vet at this clinic) saved her by bringing her home to their barn. She couldn't live indoors due to allergies, and was apparently completely miserable at the barn, being used to the luxuries of indoor life in addition to being terrorized by a less-than-impressed and territorial barn cat.

Enter Merc stage left. I've been thinking about getting a cat for awhile, but just never really thought I had the funds to be a responsible mom, so this worked out perfectly because she's already had all her shots and been spayed and declawed, so really the start-up vet bills are zero.

My friend told me I could have her under one condition - that I change her name. Her previous owners had the audacity to name her "Meow Meow". Seriously. So I set about making a list of possible names for her. Being the geek that I am, and in honour (and mockery) of her current name, I thought about calling her the Greek letter "Mu" (and when I felt particularly geeky, I could call her "Micro"... or "Ten-to-the-minus-six"...heh...ahem.) Along those lines, I also considered "Schröddinger", but really, Schroddy is a terrible nickname, and it seemed kind of cruel to be mocking her metaphysical state of being both alive and dead simultaneously whenever she went to hide in a box... So finally I settled on Socrates (Socs for short).

Socrates came home with me on Saturday, and seemed pretty happy to be living in the lap of luxury once more (or at the very least, away from that tyranical barn cat) and was purring the entire night. I kid you not, I got absolutely no sleep because she was just that happy... But we seem to be settling in well together. Is it weird that I got pretty excited this morning when I discovered that yes, she does know how to use the litterbox and not some other as-yet-unknown corner of my apartment?

Anyway, if anyone has any tips for a first-time owner (companion) I'd love to hear them!



ETA: On a completely unrelated note, I even managed to get some writing done on a DWP fic I've been (sporadically) working on. I'm pretty happy with what I have so far, but I'm still undecided on how to close it off. I'm starting to think that, to really do the thing justice, it's going to have to be significantly longer than I'd originally planned. Sigh. This is why I do one-shots: I don't have the patience to stick with longer pieces, and I have absolutely no desire to leave people hanging.

I was randomly perusing through my old WIP folder and came across this story which has been lying in wait for, literally, years. Realizing it only needed a few touch-ups, I decided to dust it off and make it presentable. It’s a slight shift from my usual fandoms, but I hope you enjoy!

Title: Ready for Love
Author: Mercury

Fandom: DEBS
Pairing: Lucy/Amy
Rating: R
Archive: P&P

Summary: Set after Amy’s faked kidnapping, this is a behind-the-scenes look at what happens directly before and after Lucy and Amy get caught by Max and the rest of the DEBS.
Author’s Note: The song is Ready for Love by India Arie. Also, a big thanks to Em for looking it over for me.

( That was the moment, right there, when she knew it was over. )

A few random thoughts before I medicate against this cold and try to sleep it off:

Sometimes I hate that all the people that I work with are guys (the joys of being an engineer). For the most part, they're great - generally pretty progressive guys, and I consider most of them to be good friends. During coffee breaks, we often play foozball in the grad lounge: There are four of us that usually play three games, alternating partners to cover all the combinations of possible teams. Today, I managed to lose every single game. It sucked. Being the only girl amongst all the guys, I often feel as though I need to represent for all womankind and generally kick ass, so I was already feeling pretty shitty about the loss. And then one of the guys asked me: "So did you lose because you suck, or because you're a woman?"

( Feminist ranting cut for length )

Anyway, on to the fangirl-squeeing portion of the evening:
( Grey's Anatomy Spoiler )

I feel as though I haven't read many reviews after the last episode of Women's Murder Club. Are we all still in denial? Or was it just so blah that there's not much to talk about? ( Five questions in lieu of a review )